Hola readers! Alright, I know you guys are pretty angry with me about the last chapter. And you want me to make her normal again...

NOT!

Sorry folks, but you guys are going to see a lot of this Charlotte for the next chapter or two. But until then, I have a little contest:

Can You Guess What's Wrong with Charlotte?

By now, like any reader, you probably have your theories on what's going on. So, whoever guesses correctly will get the next chapter dedicated to them.

Good Luck!

And...ENJOY!

Previously...

I remembered covering my mouth as Rivera screamed in pain, falling to the ground in pain. I barely managed to look at Damon.

Unlike her, Damon just got away with just a 1st-2nd minor, small degree burn. He had been patched up already and watched as Rivera was getting loaded away.

Most of Rivera's arm was burned to a 2nd-3rd degree.

...

I stopped in my tracks. Did I hear right? Do I need hearing aids? No, I'm pretty sure I didn't hear that right!

I turned to my mother. "Y-you can't be serious! I would never slap you! You're my MOTHER!"

...

"Did you think it was easy? Asking my only family, cursed for centuries as a landgirl, to break her ties like that?"

...

"...So what if I took away those nightmares and awful memories? You'd never have to live with such guilt and shame. It will be like you always wanted: A bad dream. Just let me in and I could erase them. All you'd ever had to do was trust me."

...

"Alright. Take away my nightmares," I whispered before closing my eyes and submerging underwater.

...

"Charlotte!?"

October 19th, 2009, Monday…

Valencia High….

3rd POV

It has been said that most people go to extremes to change their lives.

But when you watch someone change for the worst version of the person you care about, you often wondered what changed.

And as Riley watched from the back of his Math class, he can't help but stare at the person seated in the front row.

No, not a person.

Charlotte Watsford.

To him, she'd been an enigma since the moment they met. He'd admit he was kind of an ass at first, but he did care about the girl overall.

So, when it came to watching the woman in her place, dressed in a black sweater-poncho with an equally long, black skirt accompanying it. She had a choker around her neck again, but the one thing Riley hated about the new look was the hair.

Charlotte had lost her curls and now had iron-flat, straight hair with a bang! Her curls were his favorite part about her!

After everything that's happened, he was surprised what she did the first day of her new "change".

Flashback…

"Charlotte!?"

Said girl- erm, woman- looked at him and he gulped.

Though he had long admitted that she was beautiful, her usually warm, brown eyes now had a cold exterior to them.

Charlotte smiled as she walked up to him. He couldn't help but stare at her hips as they were sashaying their way towards him and he was doing his best not to let Junior give out a reaction.

But what he wasn't prepared for was when she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. He barely responded in time and when he did kiss back, she pulled away.

"Hey, Hot Stuff," she said in an un-Charlotte way.

'Wow, Hot Stuff? Couldn't come up with anything original?" Riley tried to tease, but it came out as a grimace. But it looked like she didn't notice.

"Well, you are hot. And that erection you have just tells it better," she smirked.

Riley's eyes widened as he looked down and indeed see an erection forming. He felt his face heat up all over. She noticed.

"So…." He tried to say.

"So….what?" she teased with a smirk.

"So, what's with the new look? Not that it doesn't look great on you, because it does and I couldn't help but notice and…" Riley started before he groaned. He was starting to sound like he was speaking to his first crush.

Charlotte chuckled. "Yeah, well, I decided to change my look for once. And, thankfully, someone likes it!"

Riley was caught off guard by Charlotte's forwardness, but he still had something to do.

"Hey, listen…I'm sorry about what I said the other day. It was completely out of line and you didn't deserve it," he said in relief. The look she had on his face still bothered him.

"Don't worry. People had said worse to me. Guys have said the worst. But, just as you owned up to your words, I own up to mine. So, I apologize for what I said too. I wasn't myself that day and honestly, I have yet to know the full story behind your mother's death. And maybe you'll share it with me sometime," Charlotte concluded before walking away from him.

Riley did his very best to not look at her butt as she walked away from him. But just because she changed her look doesn't mean he didn't notice something off about her.

And he wasn't sure if he liked it or not.

Flashback ends…

It's been two weeks since her change and Riley couldn't believe that this was the same girl who kissed him on their first date.

For starters, her attitude had skyrocketed from a petty temper to downright ugliness. Nobody wanted to say anything unless they wanted the Wrath of God put in them. She walked the halls as if she owned them and everyone wanted her, hated her, or feared her.

And it didn't help that she played the Innocence card whenever she got into trouble. For example last week, Charlotte pretty much made a chemical explosion in her Chemistry class during a lab and got away scot-free. Meanwhile, her lab partner got all the blame for it. Another time, she 'accidentally' pulled the fire alarm in school, causing everyone to evacuate the building. But then, there was no fire, nor was it a practice drill either. And this was because it happened TWICE!

But no one could link it to her.

And then, there was her attitude. While she could play Innocent, that didn't mean that her personality was of that. She had the most twisted attitude to Man. She expected to be treated like a lady (open door for her, pull out her chair, etc), but when you got her mad, the phrase "When Hell Freezes Over" couldn't be even truer in her case.

To Hell itself, she even had an attitude that put Willow and Tessa in their place!

Flashback...

Charlotte was walking into the cafeteria when she was cornered by Willow, Tessa, and what appeared to be a reluctant Alaine.

Willow and Tessa glared daggers at Charlotte, but the mermaid looked unimpressed. She looked quite bored at the three.

"Please do me the favor and get out of my way," Charlotte stated bluntly.

"I'm sorry, but who do you think you are, walking around like you own this school or something!? And it's California, darling. Wearing black isn't going to help that bad disease you call your skin," Willow taunted.

"Yeah, and seriously, where did you come from? A failed Victoria Secrets audition?" Tessa added.

Alaine didn't say anything but took in her ex-friend's was wearing a black, sleeveless top with a leather jacket over it and some black tights to go with some black boots. And her hair was in a messy up-do.

"Don't you sophomores have anything better to do than bother me? I would like my lunch now," Charlotte said, not phased by the insults.

"You're not going anywhere, Missy. Not until you give us some answers," Willow said, all in her face and a finger on her chest.

"Why would I talk to a bunch of immature, little girls? I'm sorry, but I have a life and you aren't involved with it," Charlotte stated, staring straight into Willow's eyes.

This caused said the girl to back away as if she got smacked in the face.

"Listen, if you want advice on how to bring people's spirits down, talk to your parents. I'm sure they'd be delighted to know what you do for your lunch. In fact, why don't you go talk to Andrea Williams? I'm sure that with all those bruises and broken bones she gives her daughter, she'd be happy to give you a crash course on Bullying 101," Charlotte said sarcastically.

Alaine eyes widened and flinched at how bluntly Charlotte talked about her like that. Even Willow and Tessa felt the underlining ferocity in her words.

"Now, if you three children will excuse me, I'm going to get something to eat. Okay?" Charlotte concluded with a babyish voice before walking right past them in a sophisticated manner.

Leaving three, disbelieving girls behind her.

Flashback ends...

After this came many more incidents including cruelly rejecting guys who asked her out and even disrespecting her teammates at softball practice.

It didn't matter who faced her wrath. It just mattered that the Charlotte Watsford people knew was wiped from the face of the planet. And in her place was someone else.

"Charlotte's" POV

Ever since I struck that deal, I've been rather...at peace.

If that's the way you'd put not hearing voices in your head, volunteering at least.

I'd been meaning to see Damon for the past couple of weeks, but he wouldn't answer his cell. I had the slightest feeling that his dear sister has something to do with that.

But this wasn't any of her business anyway.

I hadn't had any of those dreams for a while, since the deal, and I couldn't have felt any better!

As I walked down the halls, I couldn't help but smirk in appreciation and utter delight as I listened in on the whispers about me. The boys adored me, wanting me as their eye-candy, and the girls envied me, jealous of my superior looks and the very idea that I had a body they'd kill for. But then, some were either feared by me, only submissive in the end, and those were angry with me.

That group...is the first to go when I'm done here.

I suddenly felt a stirring in my head and decided to take a look.

I smirked again.

Perhaps everything is going smoother than I had hoped to begin with and planned for once. She seems to be calmer and occupied, and, dare I say it, happy, perhaps more than I had originally imagined. Probably for the first time in ages too.

Suddenly, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket and took it out. Looking at it, it appeared to be a text from an Unknown Number. It read:

Meet me in the Band room. NOW.

Now, this was a new development. Out of curiosity, I called the number to see who it was or get the gist of a potential prank call.

"We're sorry. The number you have reached is not in service at this time. Please check the number or try your call again," the voice message said.

I rolled my eyes and hung up. Well, whoever texted me better have a really good excuse for wasting my time!

I started walking towards the band room before I stopped for a minute. I hesitated before going into the back of my head and checking on her. She could still sense my presence, but that didn't mean I couldn't help but make sure she was alright from time to time.

And not too surprising, she's swimming above a coral reef.

A very familiar one, that is.

In the Band room...

Almost cautiously, I casually walked into the band room, only to look around and find it empty.

What the-

SLAM!

I jumped in surprise, only to grow in a low tone as the one and only, Alaine Williams slammed the door and locked it. I almost snorted. Like that was going to hold me.

"Well, well, well. Isn't it the Banshee Punching Bag," I growled. In return, she scowled at me and folded her arms across her chest.

"We need to talk," Alaine demanded.

"We don't. What I need is for you is to unlock that door and let me out!" I exclaimed.

"No. Listen Char, lately, you've been acting like a chronic bitch. Almost like you're the Queen of England!" Alaine shouted.

"Oh, excuse me! Have we met? I'm sorry, but I swore you're not talking about me being a bitch," I stalked towards her, "You humiliated me in front of everyone after your mother took you back. I tried EVERYTHING to get you to talk to me, and all you've ever done was shoving me to the ground."

I found myself curling my hands up into a fist and quickly released them. I'm not helping another repulsive girl land herself in the hospital.

"Alright, so I have my issues, but you've changed. Sure, you weren't always a cupcake, but you were - and still are - a great person to be around!" she exclaimed.

I snorted. "Me? A cupcake? Darling, you're going to have to put that extensive vocabulary to use because I say this: I. Don't. Care. About. You."

"Oh really?" Alaine questioned.

I groaned in annoyance. "Yes."

"Then why did you come here when I texted you?" she asked.

"If I had known it was you, I would have kept on walking to the other direction," I stated coldly," Besides, last time we were in this room, I slapped you without mercy, for all the right reasons! Do you honestly think I wouldn't remember your words? 'You think the whole world revolves around you when it doesn't, but play the victim card when nobody cares! Just like nobody cares about you! And for what? What could you have possibly done during you're entire 17 years of existing to deserve anyone, you self-centered, lonely bi-"

"Alright!" Alaine yelled, with her hands up in admittance, "I admit, I went too far when I said that to you and I'm sorry!"

Excuse me, come again? I thought incredulously.

"Excuse me, come again?" I asked out loud, "You're sorry? Your mother's been punching your brain cells out as well, but 'Sorry' doesn't cut it! You knew I would have done anything for you, but as I said before, you needed to save yourself first!"

"And you think that's easy!? Charlotte, not everyone can start a clean slate! My mother is my mother, and, unfortunately, she has all legal claims on me! I tried running away and it didn't work! She will never let me go! So when she tells me to walk away from something, I have to walk!" she exclaimed.

And right now, I was fighting the urge to slap her again.

"That's bullshit, and you know it! You say she owns you, but I just think you're weak and a coward! Do you remember the night Andrea called you? You were so happy to be with me and my mom, but then she calls and you're all depressed. I'm the one who's always picking up your leftover pieces! I trusted you with secrets about my former life and you throw them back in my face! For Pete's sake, Alaine, grow a backbone, and report her!" I yelled, getting ready to slap her upside the head for more than three reasons already.

"I can't walk away from her, Charlotte! She's all I have!" she tried to explain.

"But you had me," I stated simply, almost with no emotion.

"I know," she sighed, "but you said you'd always stick around, and have my back. You walked away from me."

"NO! YOU WALKED AWAY FROM ME!" Charlotte exclaimed icily, "Not the other way around. You chose to end our friendship and walked away. And now, I'm returning the favor."

Walking right past her, she hadn't noticed that I used my powers to unlock the door. So as I opened it, to her surprise, I said one last thing:

"You have a lot of issues to sort out, Alaine Williams, and I don't want one part of it. You want something to happened, you need to do it yourself. If you want to change your attitude, change it.

But just to make this clear: We are no longer friends. I gave you my trust and you betrayed it. We can't go back from this. Not now. NOT EVER!"

And with that, I walked out the door.

I couldn't help but check in again in my head. No doubt Alaine would trigger something, but after all, I've done for her, I'm not losing all of my progress due to someone like Alaine.

At Charlotte's house...

After my rather tiring day, all I wanted to do was lay down and take a nap.

But instead, I come home to a mangy mutt.

WOOF!

WOOF! WOOF!

WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!

WOOF!

WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!

WOOF! WOOF!

WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!

WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!

WO-

"SHUT UP!" I screeched. The dog stopped barking.

Well, that shut him up. Though he was still giving me that menacing glare.

I heard the sliding door to the backyard open and in came Annette, looking as filthy as ever for working on that wretched garden.

"What the hell is going on in here?!" she exclaimed, seeing the little stare-off between me and the mutt.

I just gave her a stoic look and took in her appearance. She may have learned to wear jeans and a T-shirt when working, but it still, made her look like the force of Mother nature threw up on her.

"Nothing, mother...Thomas was just annoying me," I said nonchalantly, "Are you still working on that stupid garden?"

I didn't jump when Annette slammed her hand against the wall.

"That stupid garden is for Alaine! So, yes, I'm still working on it!" she exclaimed, "What happened between the two of you? I understand that maybe her mother might have done some-"

I snorted before she could even finish that sentence.

"What she did was take our friendship and step on it like it was an insect at the bottom of her shoe!" I yelled, silencing her, "I told her everything. EVERYTHING! And she took it and threw it back in my face. She is NOTHING she made herself out to be, Mother. She's cruel, backstabbing, annoying, hurtful, rude, and callous! I should have never trusted her to begin with, and now, she means nothing to me.

So you're only wasting your time building that ridiculous garden. It's a dead dream from the very start. Hell, I bet she was always like this from the start! She does take after her mother, doesn't she!?"

By the time I was done with my rant, I hadn't realized I was pacing in front of Annette nor notice her shocked expression until I turned to her.

Her glossy eyes were widened in shock, her right hand covering her gaping mouth, stopping her from speaking.

Huh, I guess the truth does set you free.

I got tired of looking at her before I started heading up to my room when she grabbed me by the arms, roughly.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Excuse me?"

"Who are you and what have you done with my daughter?" she asked sternly. I jerked her hand off me.

"Mother, I'm Charlotte, your one you spent nearly 3 days pushing out f your vagina. The one last thing your late husband left you. And the only family you have left. Nothing's changed. I've just learned the hard way to accept that the world is a cruel place to be," I stated.

But Annette shook her head. Denial, I would know.

"No, you're not my daughter. The Charlotte I raised wouldn't act so cruel towards her own best friend. HELL! She wouldn't even go so far as to say she deserved to be abused by some witch! What has gotten into you? It's like since the day I told you about the hospital incident, you walked out of your bedroom a completely different girl!" she explained, a rough tone in her voice.

"And what if I just accepted it as it is!? Huh? What if I accepted that Alaine is never coming back, that she might have never been the Alaine we knew! I let her in, Mother, and she...and she has hurt me so bad that I can't even stand being in the same room with her! But, you know what?

I suck it up! Because this is my last year in high school, and I will NOT let someone with the likes of her bring me down!" I concluded.

I had so many more insults I wanted to spill, half to just say them in spite. The other half to see the looks on Annette's face.

"I'm sorry you don't see it my way, Mother, but I suggest you forget Alaine Williams. You shouldn't even mention her name. She means nothing to this house because that's what she is: Nothing."

And with that, I marched my way up to my bedroom, but not before I caught a glimpse of the dog.

By now, his canine teeth were showing and looked like he wanted to attack me.

Ha! Good luck with that. I never believed dogs and their belief to catch superstition, but I have no doubt he knows it.

I didn't spare Annette a second glance and by the time I entered my room, I practically fell onto the bed and stared at the ceiling.

Let's do a recap, shall we?

So far, I got into it nearly 3 times today.

Three times that could have been sending out warning bells.

I guess I should be fortunate enough that I hadn't felt any stirrings with Annette. Perhaps I had her fully under control.

Or perhaps I'm pushing my luck for once.

She needed to be calm and peaceful, which helps me tremendously. I could lay out all my plans and ideas without interruption and she won't have any reason to bug me. The stirrings were enough to set me on edge, and her- kicking and screaming- is enough for this deal to break.

Speaking of stirrings, I closed my eyes and "looked" for her. And, all too unsurprisingly, she was enjoying everything in her surroundings.

I couldn't help but smile before coming back to reality. Seems like everything will go great this fall-

FALL!

I rushed to a calendar and sighed in relief as magical night would be a week are more before the clock strikes 12.

All things come with a price. All good things must go at some point.

And Alaine had to go.

And with that, I got up and started checking to see how much money I have in my bank account. Being a working girl did have its perks.

Wow, I didn't even know that much was saved over waiting tables and taking orders.

I smirked. Now I had to get ready for the Halloween performance. There's no way I'm not dressing up and going on stage without making a last impression.

Grabbing a sketchbook, erasers, and color pencils, I began to design my costume.

It will be a performance that will be to die for.